Night's Reflection
by Lykosdracos
Summary: Based on Sherrilyn Kenyons 'Dark-hunter' series. Its not imperative to read the books first, but I'd highly recommend it! For anyone who likes Buffy, Angel, Xena, (says it in the reviews) then you'll like hers! Kick ass heroines, dark warrior hunters...
1. Introductions all round

Night's Reflection  
  
Chapter 1  
  
"My, my, my." Kimberly McMartin looked over the rim of her glass, her green eyes sparkled with interest as she watched the bodacious dark-haired man walk across the crowded bar.  
  
"What?" her best friend, Margaret Panheriou, asked while stirring the contents of her strawberry margarita listlessly. She didn't even want to be there in the first place, the only reason she was sitting at the bar of 'the Inferno' was because Selena had threatened to hoax her.  
  
Knowing Selena's penchant for spell work, she had thrown on a pair of old faded black jeans and an off-the shoulder dark red top. Nearly half-an hour later they were still waiting, Selena was rarely on time for anything, tarot card reader that she was, but simple things such as watches and time didn't matter as much to her as it did to the rest of the world.  
  
"Dig the guy who just came in." Kimberly motioned subtly to the entrance of the town's hangout spot.  
  
The sigh that rose to Margaret's lips quickly died as she turned to see whom Kimberly was looking at. It was amazing she could still draw breath, there was air everywhere but none of it seemed to want to circulate through her lungs.  
  
The man was tall, a good six feet and then some, he had dark hair that was tinted so many shades of black and brown it was difficult to know exactly what color it was. What really captured her attention was his eyes, brighter than the color of clouds before a storm yet lighter than the purest silver, they gleamed and glittered eerily in the darkened interior of the room.  
  
Red light played across the strong planes of his face, high cheekbones accentuated his look of regal power. She could imagine him leading an army into battle, no, not a battle, he reminded her of the gods. Proud, arrogant, and completely self-reliant he demanded attention although he didn't seem aware of the interest he'd sparked. The roving hunger in his gaze that searched for something he had not yet found called to her. Made her want to go over to him and take the emptiness out of his expression.  
  
"Isn't he just...?" Kimberly hinted taking a short drink, she was pleased by the look of interest on her friends' face, it had been too long since Maggie had really taken a look at the men around her.  
  
"Oh yeah, that and more." Maggie replied wanting to take her eyes from him, but finding that it was near impossible to even finish that thought. "I've never seen him before."  
  
"Ash!" Dante grinned as he stepped into the shadows, "Long time no see."  
  
Maggie noticed that there was no customary clap on the back or shaking of hands between the men, Dante kept a good distance from him and it almost seemed as if he too couldn't meet the silver-lined gaze for more than a few minutes.  
  
The ringing of her cell-phone snapped her out of her reverie. Damn the thing, she rummaged through her purse to find it. Kimberly hid her smile of amusement at the annoyance that emanated from Maggie's direction.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hi, hon." Selena's distracted voice came across the wavelengths, "I'm not going to be able to make it. Kind of an emergency here, a man said he'll pay double if I read the cards for him."  
  
"Don't you love tourist season?" Maggie smiled as Kimberly ordered another shot.  
  
Selena's rich laughter echoed in the receiver as she hung up.  
  
"So what's up? She just late or-"  
  
"Not coming." Maggie replied as she put the phone away, "Customer said he'd pay her double for a reading."  
  
"Awesome." Kim knew that this time of year was incredibly profitable for all the store owners and shop vendors. The men and women who flocked to New Orleans all seemed to love the exotic, mystical, and Selena was the epitome of all things magical. Her clothes spoke volumes, she was known to wear long flowing skits and renaissance type shirts.  
  
Sunshine Runningwolf sold pottery, art, and jewelry from her cart in the French Quarter. Between her artistic views of the world and Selena's mystical predictions they were sold out by the end of the day.  
  
"Oh look, here he comes." Kim moved down two seats to make room for him.  
  
"No! What are you doing?! Get back over here." Maggie hissed nervously. "Kim, I'm going to kick your ass. Move over!"  
  
Smiling, Kimberly did as she requested, she moved down another stool and laughed wickedly as a hard-rock song came on. In Dante's bar anything went, this was their day off and she was sure she didn't know anyone. As the guitar solo crescendoed and the lead singer started the chorus, Kim threw back the contents of her drink and sang along too.  
  
Pretty soon people were dancing to the beat on the neon-lit dance floor and Kim was trying to catch Ash's attention. In black leather pants and a loose fitting shirt she would have looked like the others occupying the bar had she not have had four chains hanging from her pants, black boots, and a chains of all sizes around her neck.  
  
It was full goth-night for her and she proved it with the broken in leather jacket she had hanging on the back of the stool. As of now, Kim was standing on said bar still singing to the song, catching attention of people all over. She frowned, she wasn't the only one dancing on the counter-top, but damnit she wanted Maggie to be happy again, and the guy wasn't even looking over in their direction!  
  
Acheron Parthenopaeus watched from the shadows waiting for the horde of Daimons that were supposed to try and raid the bar this night. He had gotten the tip from Talon, a Celtic dark-hunter, who assured him that Sunshine was sure of it.  
  
He disliked bars and people, much rather preferring to spend time by himself than with others, it was uncomfortable for him to be surrounded by so many bodies. The heat rose every second, and still no sign of any blonde Fabio look-alikes.  
  
There was still a good many hours before the sun came up, plenty of time for the Daimon's to roam before attempting to gather souls here. He detected a line of sad empty grief from somewhere in the crowd. He frowned and started toward it before settling back against the wall with a frown.  
  
It was definitely coming from a woman, then he saw her as a waiter came through with a tray balanced in his arms. She had medium-length black hair that fell to the middle of her back in an organized muss. It looked as though it had just been washed and the water not yet out completely, it was a look that completely fit her.  
  
She wore a shirt that bared one shoulder, he inwardly winced when that reminded him of Artemis' variety of outfits she paraded for him whenever he was summoned. Artemis, just her name was enough to send anger and betrayal flooding through him. She was the only one who accepted him, but he would never allow her to win the little game they played. Never.  
  
The woman's first name was Margaret, he pulled it from her memory along with what was making her so sad. The man she had loved married another woman, now she didn't think she was good enough for anyone and berated herself for not taking the initiative to tell him how she felt.  
  
He didn't know why he did this to himself. He had learned a long time ago that while he saved mortals on a day-to-day basis, there was no use in trying to get to know them. Their life-span was so short, a mere ninety years if lucky before their souls belonged to Hades.  
  
His eyes glittered in the dark, he could see clearly in pitch-black had the occasion called for it. A waiter tripped and the trey wobbled unsteadily. The man caught it and breathed a sigh of relief before a glass fell off the side.  
  
Ash intercepted it from hitting the floor and handed it back to the waiter. He was now standing in the middle of the room, easing pain was what he did best. Even though me made it a point not to talk to mortals, he found himself inexplicably drawn to the woman with the lithe, lightly muscled body.  
  
"Hey, Maggie?" Kim glanced over as soon as the song had ended. "Max is here, I'll be right back, kay?"  
  
"Sure, no problem. Bring him over."  
  
"Will do." She climbed gracefully down from the stool and headed over to the entranceway. Max was Kim's boyfriend of ten years, they had met in ninth grade and were fast friends ever since. They started dating soon after and it was because of him her best friends life was turned around.  
  
He was perfect for her and she for him. They shared innuendoes, wicked jokes, soft laughter, and were so deeply in love that it sometimes made her worry over the depth of emotion she saw. Max was dressed in black pants with a chained and spiked leather jacket. He had one necklace, a chain with a wolf's tooth on the end that Kim had found for him.  
  
Underneath the jacket, on his right arm, he had a tattoo of a dragon. That was his forte, dragons and anything paranormal. His long black hair was tied back tonight and he pulled Kim into a corner to properly say hello.  
  
They would be there awhile, Maggie half-grinned, they were always doing something like that. Holding hands, both being careful not to scratch fingers and skin on the claws that adorned Max's hand, nor the rings on Kim's, kissing, sometimes there was a complete make-out marathon that put Buffy and Angel's twenty-four hour day to shame.  
  
She turned around to order a strawberry daiquiri when she saw him sit down next to her. He was even taller up close, and she noticed the three skulled earrings in his right ear. There was a stylized tattoo of a bird over his left arm pulse, and she smelled a faint aroma of burning logs, cologne, and a purely masculine scent that had her pulse picking up speed.  
  
"Um, hello." She worked up the courage to say.  
  
"Hello." He replied to her surprise. "Here alone?"  
  
"No..." his eyes gleamed and oh wow, his accent. It wasn't all that noticeable, but it sounded as though he were Greek. The way his muscles rippled, not too well cut, but not at all flabby either. She doubted if he even knew what the word meant.  
  
"My name's Margaret Panheriou." She offered hesitantly glad when her drink finally arrived.  
  
"Acheron Parthanopeus." The name rolled off his tongue and Margaret nearly fell off her chair when she heard him speak again. This man should be locked up somewhere, her cheeks were already over heated and the temperature had seemed to go up a few hundred degrees, and all he had said was his name!  
  
"Duck." He said calmly taking out the largest switch-blade she had ever seen.  
  
Maggie did as he said without question, the tone he said it in left no room for argument, contestation, or doubts. She fell into a crouching position just in time, had she still be sitting there a very blonde, extremely well built, and somehow reminding her of Fabio, guy with a long, wickedly sharp dagger would have stabbed through her stomach.  
  
"Aww... look at the little dark-hunter all alone." Another of the blonde men sneered.  
  
"Lets get outta here!" the tallest of them muttered, "That aint no ordinary dark-hunter, that's Acheron."  
  
"Acheron?" they stared at him in horror. They had all heard tales of the Atlantean that couldn't be killed, he was the first ever dark-hunter made by Artemis herself. One of the oldest and most feared of them all, he had powers that none could truly comprehend.  
  
Maggie looked around, no one else seemed to notice the four blonde men surrounding them. People danced, men drank at the bar, and Max looked darkly at a man who made a rude gesture towards him.  
  
Ash's eyes were swirling gray whether in anticipation of a fight or anger, she didn't know. Power just naturally came from him, he was sitting with his arms crossed unconcernedly but there was the predatory look on his expression that betrayed all that.  
  
"The Acheron Parthanopeus?" the last one with longer blonde hair snapped.  
  
"No, I'm the nice one." Ash grinned a cold smile that held no amusement. "Going to scurry home or face me like men and fight?"  
  
"Go to hell" the tall one replied, there was only so much he could be expected to put up with! The man was still a dark-hunter and therefore could be killed. Somehow.  
  
"Been there, done that, got the t-shirt." Ash sighed as he got up. Maggie couldn't help but stare, every move he made was elegant and graceful.  
  
Ash deflected the dagger thrown at him without thinking about it, did they really think their weapons could hurt him? Rolling his eyes he sent two of them exploding into black vapor. The other two tried to run, but Acheron stopped them with his mind and made them turn around to face him.  
  
"You would have been flogged unto death for that in the old days." His eyes burned with contempt, the two Daimons disappeared in a puff of black dust.  
  
She felt an ice cold wave of air go through her. Time seemed to stand still, then it was as before. Drinking, talking, no one else had seen! Acheron pulled on his black duster and made for the entranceway.  
  
"Hang on a second." Maggie reached out and grabbed the sleeve of his jacket. "What the hell was that? Were they vampires?!"  
  
Ash just stared at her, how did she remember? Better question yet was how she had seen it. He made sure to put a mental block around himself and the Daimons so none of the humans would know of the danger they faced every day.  
  
"Don't look at me like that." Maggie refused to take a step backwards though her very cells were quaking, "I'm not some puny mortal for you to hypnotize."  
  
"I'm not a vampire." he said brushing it off. So many people had mistaken them for the 'night-dwellers,' if they only knew who the real monsters were...  
  
"Then what are you?" she persisted.  
  
Ash felt like laughing, men twice her size couldn't meet his gaze or stay in his presence long. None dared to question his decision and no one touched him like she was doing now.  
  
"The things of nightmares, everything that goes bump in the night." He smiled and allowed his fangs to show. "Stay away from us, little one."  
  
Then he was gone, she stared at the crowd and then at where he had been sitting. The burlap bag he carried was gone as well.  
  
"Hey, you alright?" Kim asked hurrying over. "He didn't hurt you or anything?"  
  
"No, not at all." Maggie hastened to reply, she had seen that look before. It usually appeared right before Kim did something reckless, or as she warmed up for a fight. "Wait a second, how did you guys see?"  
  
"Umm..." Kim bit her black lip-glossed lip, "It's kind of a long story."  
  
"We have all night." Max signaled for the bill, but Kim had out a twenty before he could reach for his wallet.  
  
"It was only a coupl'a drinks." She grinned at Max's sigh of irritation.  
  
"So where are we going?" Maggie asked, judging by how tense they were the news was not going to be good.  
  
"Well... you remember that little... calamity Grace had with the book?"  
  
"Yeah, Julian of Macedon." He taught history and ancient languages at the college. He had also been trapped inside a book as a sex-slave for two millennia.  
  
"Well... he has friends."  
  
"I'd hope so." Maggie replied lightening the mood.  
  
"We really need to move this conversation somewhere... not here." Max said ushering them to the door.  
  
"And you just met one of them." Kim said seriously from behind black- shadowed eyes. 


	2. Explanations

Chapter 2  
  
"So let me get this straight." Maggie shook her head trying to remember everything she'd been told.  
  
"Don't worry about it." Kyrian of Thrace was at Grace's Alexander's house, a friend of both Kim's and Maggie's, Kyrian had once been a prince, and fought in an army with Julian of Macedon. "It's amazing we were able to tell you. Acheron should write a guide-book."  
  
"Dark-hunters for Dummies,"  
  
They laughed at that, dark-hunters were the protectors of the night, they went after the blood and soul sucking Daimons. Dream-hunters were the ones who vanquished the energy and dream suckers, while the Were-hunters killed the Slayers.  
  
"Hang on, aren't Slayers supposed to be good?"  
  
"Is that all you do?" Kyrian put his arm around Amanda, "Watch a little blonde-chick kill pathetically weak vampires? In heels."  
  
"No, of course not." Kim objected, "You're forgetting about Angel."  
  
The women shared a conspiratorial look, both cute and compassionate he was a vampire cursed with a soul. While the show had been cancelled by evil TV-producers re-runs still aired on other channels...  
  
"But then what's a slayer?"  
  
"One of the worst Daimon types, they destroy because of their love for chaos." Julian replied, "They're also the hardest to kill."  
  
"What did you mean when you said that some men can travel through time? Here, there, back again?"  
  
"More or less." Max said, "There are four realms: time, space, earth, and dreams."  
  
"But then what does Artemis do with the souls." Grace wondered aloud, she knew the red-haired goddess collected the souls of the men she granted a night of revenge, but what happened to them?"  
  
"You'll have to ask Acheron about that." Kyrian shrugged, "And good- luck getting an answer."  
  
"Difficult?" Amanda said.  
  
"Yeah," Kyrian snorted, "Sure, and Everest is a hill."  
  
"That bad! He is not that bad." Maggie objected.  
  
"I was over-estimating. I should have said ant-hill."  
  
"Hang on..." Kim trailed off looking around confused.  
  
"Yeah, I can feel it too." Max shrugged his leather-encased shoulders. "Ash's little reminder."  
  
That wasn't the only reason, when more than one dark-hunter got together in the same place, their powers drained enforcing that no fights would break out among them. Max and Kyrian felt it, but had chosen not to say anything.  
  
"Do you need a ride or you going with Kim?" Grace knew Maggie's car was in the shop. Again. The heap and metal was good only for the scrap-yard now but seeing as she was only a beginning doctor... pay wasn't at it's best.  
  
"No, it's alright. Kim's staying over with me anyway." Maggie replied.  
  
"Yup, I have Daimon detail tonight, that's what Ash was reminding me of." Max took the extra two daggers and a circular blade from Kim with a droll look. Between the two of them, they had an arsenal large enough to supply a small army.  
  
Kim was used to the hunts and battles that they faced on a daily basis. Despite Max's protesting, she often accompanied him to help him fight. Acheron had bestowed a gift of strength so she could match Daimon's hit for hit.  
  
It only slightly bothered her that Max was going off alone this time. There were only three of them after all, it was easy compared to the gathering at Mardi Gras. He had been doing this for around five hundred years anyway...  
  
They headed out to the car after saying their good-byes, Maggie wanted to ask Julian and Kyrian one more question.  
  
"You and Amanda, Julian with Grace, do you know if Acheron's found his other half yet?"  
  
The two men glanced at one another, not a lot was known about the Atlantean. Any and all questions about his past were easily evaded.  
  
"Artemis is said to have some hold over him." Julian cleared his throat, "Since he was the first, and he visits her in the temple we just figure that they might be together."  
  
"But I thought no men were allowed in her temples." Maggie was well versed in mythology, anything to do with ancient civilizations was her hobby.  
  
"So did we." Kyrian grinned, "We don't ask, he sure as hell won't tell. Your guess is's good as ours."  
  
"Thanks." Maggie sighed, "Oh! I forgot to bring over the sweater you let me borrow, Grace!"  
  
"Don't worry about it." Grace waved a hand, "No rush."  
  
"Thanks, I'll definitely bring it around tomorrow, and I'll talk to you more than too, Mandy."  
  
"Looking forward to it." Amanda hugged her in farewell.  
  
"Hey, Meg?" With the Greek accents Kyrian and Julian either called her by the full name or Meg for short. "Acheron isn't known to associate with mortals. He saves them, but he doesn't stay around to chat."  
  
"I figured that out already." She winked and her azure blue eyes sparkled in amusement. "thanks for the warning."  
  
Kim was waiting for her, leaning against the side of the sleek silver car had it not been fore the green of her eyes and the white of her skin, Maggie would have walked straight into her. Gray flashed in the dull light, Maggie caught the keys she was ready for it. Kim could wield a two-bladed weapon while talking on the cell-phone, but she hated driving with a passion.  
  
'Give me a pirate ship, a chariot, hell, I'd settle for a donkey! But that thing? No way, not on your life.'  
  
Maggie started the car loving the purr of properly conditioned engine and pulled out of the driveway. They lived only twenty minutes from Grace's, the house was welcoming, a dim light illuminated one of the windows.  
  
The house was in no way small, secluded in the country it comfortably could hold three people. It was fashioned after a Victorian type mansion, two bathrooms, a living room, and she had modeled a small office for when she worked online. There were lace curtains in the era-like windows, and candles on almost all the tables.  
  
Kim was as at home here as when she lived with Max. The two women had been best friends since eighth grade and had made a pact then to stay friends forever.  
  
"I'll get drinks." Maggie announced looking at the clock.  
  
"Great, I got the food." Kim snagged three bags of chips from the counter. Angel was on TNT, they took their traditional place in front of the television. Kim sat in front of the couch with her legs crossed Indian- style, Maggie lay curled up on the couch with her head leaning on the cushioned side.  
  
The kitchen adjoined the living room, set up so that the large wide- screen TV was visible from the kitchen table. The room was painted in white with dark blue trim, blue carpet to match, but hardwood floors in the kitchen.  
  
"The Darla and Drusilla killing episode." Kim smiled evilly in anticipation, she loved this episode.  
  
"Ah yes, he's just so awesome when he shows his evil side." Maggie ate a few Doritos.  
  
The theme song by Darling Violetta played signaling a commercial break.  
  
"Maggie..." Kim looked down at her black-painted nails, "I'm really sorry about tonight."  
  
"Hmm?" Maggie took off the chained choker from around her neck, "What did you do?"  
  
"About the whole Acheron thing."  
  
"Why're you sorry? I'm not." She kicked off her sneakers and her red shadowed eyes gleamed amusedly.  
  
"But knowing Acheron..."  
  
"You know him?" her eyes changed to the color of a summer's sky, bright and flawlessly blue, they regarded Kim with something that reminded her of a predator's look right before a kill.  
  
"No... but-"  
  
"I only met him once, Kim. He saved my life, let me remember what happened, and there was no 'argh, die mortal' that everyone associates him with." She smiled as she recalled the nickname he gave her.  
  
"Just to be sure you aren't mad."  
  
"No, not in the slightest." Maggie reached for her Sprite in an effort to keep her friend from seeing her flushed cheeks. The man was darkness incarnate, that and raw sensuality emanated from every pore. No man should be able to look that hot and walk around unchecked.  
  
Two more commercial breaks and they cleaned up the bags and soda cans. Kim drank the last of her Mountain Dew before regarding Maggie suspiciously.  
  
"You like him, don't you."  
  
"I don't even know the guy!" Maggie blushed and Kim knocked one of her heavy booted heels against the other.  
  
"I knew it. Way to go, Maggie!" she high-fived her laughing.  
  
"But you were against the whole thing!"  
  
"No, not against. Just concerned." She offhandedly threw the cans two feet into the recycling bin, "If you could only see the look on your face."  
  
"Am I smiling like a stupid idiot?" Maggie mock-winced, "I am, aren't I."  
  
"No. Not a stupid idiot, maybe a lovesick fool, but defiantly not an idiot."  
  
"Oh shut up!" Maggie laughed throwing the nearest pillow at her, "I seem to remember a certain someone you have the same smile on your face for right now."  
  
"Is that so." Kim raised an eyebrow but try as she might couldn't stop the grin from coming to her face. "Alright fine, I acquiesce. We're both hopeless sops when it comes to men."  
  
"And damn proud of it too." Maggie threw her cans out and then they both headed to the stairs. The second floor was where all the bedrooms were located, there was a bathroom too, and Kim already had extra clothes in tow in one of the guest rooms.  
  
"Well, goodnight."  
  
"Yeah, sleep well. Dream happy dreams." Kim smiled devilishly.  
  
"I'll sure try." Maggie replied and chuckled wickedly as she went inside the bathroom. She washed her face free of makeup and took out the chandelier earrings.  
  
She put on an oversized t-shirt to sleep in and left the door open for Kim when she was done changing. Maggie was tired, she hadn't been getting a lot of sleep the past couple of days. Work called for her to be awake at all hours of the night, and this was the first time she'd have a full night of sleep ahead of her.  
  
Today had certainly been interesting, with friends like Grace, Selena, Sunshine, and Amanda, life was never boring, but this was the first time something out of the ordinary had happened to her. As handsome as Acheron was, she had seen underneath that to the sadness and isolation that he faced every day.  
  
She wanted to wipe clear the darkness from his eyes and promise him that nothing bad would ever happen to him again. More than anything she wanted him to smile and have it reach his beautiful silver-tinted eyes. They were unlike anything she had ever seen before, the very centers were so dark one could get lost in the emptiness.  
  
He had some telepathic powers too, when he told her to move she had felt the extra push he gave her with his mind to make sure that she wouldn't be harmed. He might be known as a heartless killer, but then why would he have tried so hard to save her?  
  
With that thought on her mind she drifted off into a deep sleep to dream about tall men with flashing eyes, brave warrior who faced death calmly, and a young boy who wrongfully trusted the goddess Artemis.  
  
Kim meanwhile stepped out of the leather pants and pulled a black shirt over her head. It belonged to Max, and she knew he wouldn't mind. The only thing she had to sleep in here was a large shirt, and she wanted to wear that the following morning.  
  
Once in the bathroom she snorted at the amount of black that was washed down the sink. She didn't know why she wore so much of the color on her face, it suited her mood most of the time though, and it was a habit that she in no way wanted to break.  
  
Without the black eye shadow, lip-gloss, and eyeliner gone she looked like a completely different person. Her green eyes were less accentuated and her black hair didn't seem so dark. A trick of the light, it was no different than all other times she looked into the mirror.  
  
She heard a noise come from the bedroom she was sleeping in. Shit, she didn't have her weapons with her, it was the first slip-up in a long time, but even so just one mistake could lead to death. No chance to make amends if she was dead.  
  
Stepping quietly into the confines of the room she felt the arm that wrapped itself around her waist and moved to face her attacker accordingly. Half hidden in the shadows she could still make out the figure behind the door, it was Max.  
  
"You scared five years off my life, what're you doing back there!" she smiled softly looking into his dark eyes. The lights were off, he was glad of that. Dark-hunters eyes were extremely sensitive to light, their pupils absorbed light differently than humans did, so any light seemed harsher than it was.  
  
"I'll have to make it up to you then, won't I." He pulled her closer and kissed her, a long deep kiss that took away her breath and made her knees weak.  
  
"Oh yeah, I'll have to stick around another five years now just to make sure you do that again."  
  
"Your wish is my command, sweet." He grinned at the movie-like quote and it was a few minutes before any more speaking was done. They made it to the bed and Kim found her position next to him with her head on his shoulder.  
  
"How was the Daimon hunting?"  
  
Max closed the door softly using the power from his mind to move the hinges so that it wouldn't slam. He didn't want Maggie to wake up and come see who was making all the noise. He kicked off his boots and Kim helped him with his shirt.  
  
"Uneventful." He sighed and put one arm around her waist and the other to make slow circles around the pulse on her neck. Smiling as she shivered, "Acheron should update the guide-book, we don't even have to hit them before they turn tail and run."  
  
"Well good, you didn't tire yourself out then." The gleam in her eyes made him laugh softly.  
  
"Missed me, did you?"  
  
"A little." She nipped a path down his chest, "But I'll show you how much anyway..." 


	3. Hidden power

Chapter 3  
  
"Someone's in the house." Clothes appeared as Max and Kim went out into the hall. It was mid-morning, but because Maggie kept the curtains closed Max would be fine.  
  
It was only if someone pulled open a window and shoved him in front of it that there would be a problem. A very big problem that involved burning, and a scorched mark on Maggie's polished floors. Maggie would not be happy, but then again neither would Kim.  
  
Just normally taking to reason that if something happened to him, it was very likely a third world war would break out. Max kept her behind him as he went down the curling staircase. She raged when her favorite actor lost the Oscar to 'that pitiful, soul-sucking pansy,' she might challenge Hades himself should Max be lost to Shadedom.  
  
There was no reflection on the gilt glass picture-frames, dark- hunters cast no reflection unless they projected it from their mind. That took a certain concentration that was farthest from Max's mind at the moment.  
  
He leapt over the railing and had whomever had entered the house trapped against the side of the stairs. Samantha Farias' hazel-amber eyes flashed indignantly as Max stepped backwards and ran his hand through his shoulder length black hair.  
  
"Hi!" Kim looked apologetically over at Max, "What're you doing here?"  
  
"Being assaulted by your boyfriend." Samantha raised an eyebrow. "And when the door stays unlocked, its relatively easy for one to enter."  
  
"Yeah, yeah," Kim looked down at the black-lace shirt she wore, it was rather low-cut, not like anything she would ever have worn before. "Mmmhmm.." she cleared her throat pointedly with a look at Max.  
  
"Oh ick. Don't start." Samantha held up a hand as if warding off evil, "Not another word. Nope, don't want to hear it."  
  
"What! I didn't say anything!" Kim laughed. "There aren't any Daimons, scary monsters, or bogey-men, you can go back to sleep. Sorry, love."  
  
"Great." Max rubbed a hand across his eyes. "Nice threatening you." He said to Samantha.  
  
"Anytime, yeah, attack the damsel who's no longer in distress." Samantha went with Kim to the kitchen, "Not a morning person?"  
  
"No, well, I kept him up rather late last-"  
  
"What did I tell you!" Samantha choked on a piece of apple she was eating, "You're going to kill my appetite. This is a perfect apple, look at the symmetry of it, perfect see? Check out the spin, it doesn't wobble or anything! I don't want to know what went on, if anything happened, no details."  
  
"Alright, alright!" Kim took a steak knife from the rack and sliced into a mango, "See, and here you tell me about what happens with Daniel. The Jacuzzi..."  
  
"Ah," Samantha's eyes gleamed, "But that there was-"  
  
"Morning." Maggie came into the kitchen in a wraparound comfortable light blue robe, "Sammy! What're you doing here?"  
  
"That's the second time I heard someone say that today." Samantha threw the apple core into the garbage, "I'd almost think I'm not welcome." She grinned to belay her words.  
  
"Nope, you're not. Get out, go be Daimon bait." Maggie poured cereal into a bowl.  
  
"Daimon?" Samantha paused, "so you've been initiated into the dark- hunter realm?"  
  
"In a manner of speaking, yeah." Maggie poured milk into the bowl, then watched in horror as the spoon levitated. "Um, Kim?"  
  
"Its not me." Kim was watching wide-eyed as the spoon stayed in the air.  
  
"And its definitely not me." Samantha said holding up her hands innocently.  
  
"Max!" Maggie snapped, "Get down here." Max apparated into the room with a disgruntled look on his face, he obviously didn't appreciate being awake nor ordered around. His clothes were rumpled which proved just how deeply asleep he had been.  
  
"What? What now?" he hid a yawn.  
  
"Look." Maggie pointed to the spoon, Max squinted against the light that streamed from the halogen lights on the ceiling.  
  
"Yeah, so?" he shrugged, "Its you, you're doing it. Congratulations."  
  
"Me?!" her voice came out on a squeak.  
  
"Yup." He put his arms around Kim's waist and rested his head on her shoulder. Kim was only a few inches shorter than he, which made it that much easier to resort back to the near-sleep status. "You've never done that before?"  
  
"No, no I really haven't." Maggie stared at the spoon as if afraid it would attack her. "I thought you could read minds."  
  
"I can, but that doesn't mean I take advantage of it." He paused. "That much."  
  
"How comforting." Samantha grinned, "An Arcadian panther, a dark- hunter, Kim with wonder-woman abilities, and Maggie who can levitate things. We make an interesting little kick-ass group, don't we."  
  
"When you add Daniel, the other panther, yeah." Kim added. Arcadian's were human-hearted with compassion, mercy, and other humanistic traits. When they were born, one side got a human heart, the other received the heart of an animal. The Arcadian's had a conscience that resulted from their human side.  
  
Their enemies, the Katagarians didn't have such characteristics. According to Samantha and Daniel, the Katagarians needed to be put down, exterminated, or banished. The sooner the better, they were a threat to humanity and fights broke out daily between the two groups.  
  
Samantha had met Daniel while on a trip to Italy, Kim and Maggie decided that she worked too hard and pitched in to buy her a plane ticket. To their surprise, she not only returned with presents, but with a gorgeous male-panther as souvenir. It was even more of a shock for them to realize that she was an Arcadian panther herself.  
  
That for interesting times did make. The swearing that none could hear about it ever, then realizing that the 'pyramid of protection' included dark-hunters, Max's secret coming out. Amanda coming clean about Kyrian, they had all known about Julian of Macedon, and Sunshine then about her Celtic husband, Talon.  
  
Maggie had known about dark-hunters, were-hunters, and all the rest before, but this was the first time she actually had to keep the facts straight. It was hard for Kyrian and he had been around for millennia. Part of a doctor's criteria was to have both a photographic and a good memory.  
  
"How would this have happened though?" Maggie asked keeping calm under the circumstances. Keep a cool, rational mind, it wouldn't do to go stark-raving mad at a time like this.  
  
"Could it have been Acheron's doing?" Kim asked.  
  
"I'll call and find out first thing tonight." Max replied.  
  
"So he's not a morning person either." Samantha quipped brushing at a piece of fuzz on her purple tank-top, she sighed when the white thread fell onto her dark-blue jeans.  
  
"Taking into consideration the fact that if we step outside into the sun for even two seconds and we turn crispy and burn... I'd definitely say no. Not a morning person, unless you like bacon dark-hunter style."  
  
"Yum." Kim smiled with a side-ways glance at Max, "But you've called him before... c'mon, this is really important."  
  
"He's not with Artemis, is he?" Samantha asked missing the dark look that came over Maggie's expression.  
  
"Not that I know of, no." Max materialized a cell phone and pushed the speed dial button 6. Moving to the safety of the living room he listened to it ring three times before Ash finally answered.  
  
"I don't know, I didn't do it." He said, "My guess is some kind of power check that woke up the telepathy she didn't know of."  
  
"Alright, you really need to stop with the mind-reading before picking up, oh great Asheron." Max said mock-sarcastically. It was always a little disconcerting when he did that, knowing that he had been inside his mind a second ago, even though Max did that himself from time to time, he knew that his own thoughts were safe.  
  
"Don't worry, dragon." Ash pulled the nickname Kim called him from a mix of jumbled thoughts, "Your secret's safe with me."  
  
"I'm telling you, if I see it posted anywhere, and I mean anywhere, on the DH site I'm going to come after you and kick your god-protected ass."  
  
"Now, now." Ash chided, "What would Kim say if she knew you were thinking about another man's... external region?"  
  
"Probably the same thing I'm thinking right now." Max projected the two words and heard Ash laugh into the receiver.  
  
"I'll leave that for her to do." Max could picture Ash flipping him off on the other end, "But seriously, I'll check with the Fates to see what they come up with. What's the name?"  
  
"Margaret Panheriou."  
  
Ash was silent for a few seconds, "Right, call you later."  
  
Max hung up confident that if there was any information to be found Ash would get it. He would owe a serious favor for it, but it was worth it.  
  
"So? What did he say?" Maggie asked anxiously.  
  
"He's going to check with the Fates and get back to us."  
  
"Ok, I'm really sorry about waking you again..." Kim smiled a sweet apologetic grin, "Really, it's the last time, I swear on pain of death."  
  
"Well you could always join me this time..." Max whispered inside her mind, "Make sure that... sleep... isn't interrupted."  
  
"Later." She promised sending the thought back through their mind- link crossing an X onto her heart to seal the vow.  
  
"A promise given-"  
  
"Is a promise kept." She thought-laughed wickedly and watched as he de-materialized again.  
  
"What d'you say to going to visit Grace and Amanda today?" Maggie asked, she still had the sweater to return.  
  
"Fine by me." Samantha replied.  
  
"I'm in." Kim said instantly, "I just have to swing by the house to pick up new clothes."  
  
"What happened to what you were wearing last night?" Maggie asked, then thought about it. Max had definitely not been around when they went to sleep, yet he was sleeping upstairs now. "I take back the question, I don't want to know."  
  
Kim whistled innocently and held out her neatly groomed short black- painted nails, "Kiss and tell, eh?"  
  
"Ha ha ha." Samantha sarced as she threw an orange at Kim. She caught it and would have thrown it back had Maggie not intervened.  
  
"You get orange stains on my walls and I'll kill you." She warned.  
  
"Oohh, be careful, Sammy. She might levitate you."  
  
"Shut up!" Maggie laughed. "This is so entirely not my fault."  
  
"Whatever makes you happy." Samantha laughed too.  
  
"So, definitely Grace's?" Maggie asked.  
  
"Yeah, the day's young! Think of all the people we can terrorize, the fights yet to be fought, the rum yet to be consumed..."  
  
"Who's side are you on anyway?" Samantha was only kidding, she knew Kim didn't mean it. Well, at least the people terrorizing part.  
  
"At the moment?" Kim shrugged, "I'm still deciding."  
  
"Alright, I'll go and get changed. Be back in a second." Maggie left the room and Kim and Samantha watched the spoon fall to the counter. 


	4. A fight commences

Chapter 4  
  
They walked through the mall unconcerned with the number of looks they were getting, from Grace's conservative appearance, Samantha's sleek shiny boots, to Maggie's black-lace shirt, and Kim's leather pants, they were a startling view to passerby. So different in looks and style of dress yet best friends for as far back as they could remember.  
  
The sun had gone down a few hours ago and the mall was just about to close, already they saw the steel bars over some of the store windows. Announcements to alert shoppers that store hours were over kept blaring over the loud-speakers.  
  
Amanda wasn't able to take a day off work, Maggie was using her week of paid leave, and Kim had quit the bartending job a long time ago. Samantha hadn't had to work for the longest, she was a were-panther and had a lot of cash saved up. They hadn't really bought anything except maybe a chained necklace or cuffed wristband.  
  
They had all taken one car, Grace drove, and they were headed to lot H, row 6. The car was stick-shift instead of automatic, they remembered stories Grace had told them about Julian's unsuccessful attempts to learn how to drive.  
  
"Hey guys, keep walking but heads up on the Daimons that're trailing us." Kim warned, she could sense them given Max's dark-hunter instinct. He projected the power to her while he slept away from the sun's rays to be sure that they stayed safe while the other hunters were out of commission.  
  
"Stupid inkblots, don't they know better than to mess with us?" Samantha scoffed, "You get to the car, we'll take care of'em." There were only eight of them, for some reason Daimon's preferred to travel in even numbered groups.  
  
"Damn straight." Kim replied. Maggie and Grace were the most likely targets, if Maggie had just developed psychic abilities they'd be after her. Psychic women tended to have a stronger soul and it would last them longer than that of a mortal's.  
  
"Well, well, well." The obvious leader of the group of blonde-haired Daimons sauntered up to Kim and Samantha and looked them up and down crudely. "Looks like it's dinnertime, boys."  
  
"Oh no, big scary macho-men. Let's run and hide." Kim rolled her eyes and pulled out two long, curved daggers. "That what you're used to hearing?"  
  
"Aside from the screaming for mercy..." the shortest of them smirked, and short was a relative term, standing six foot two, he was far from any mortal standards. "... yeah."  
  
"Good." Samantha transformed into a sleek black panther.  
  
"It's fun to break free of tradition." The daggers gleamed eerily in the light, "Let's play, shall we?" Kim smirked  
  
Samantha leapt on the nearest one and tore out it's throat leaving behind nothing but black vapor. Kim high-kicked one in the jugular and sent a dagger hurtling through it's chest. It too evaporated and she caught the dagger before it fell to the pavement.  
  
"Two points." She grinned, then caught the next Daimon in the shoulder with her left hand and sent him to burst against the pavement asphalt. Samantha had dispatched of two as well, and that left them with three Daimons left.  
  
The panther glared out of narrowed greenish-yellow eyes, her eyes changed depending on the mood she was in. She was the only one Kim knew that could do that, change her eye color at will. Kim watched as she leapt on the third Daimon's back, raked her claws down his back, and tore through bone to his heart.  
  
"Bored now." Kim glanced down at the daggers and exchanged them for a long braided chain, she put the daggers back into her leather jacket pocket where the chain had been. She whipped it around so that it hit a pole and created sparks. "Oh yeah, much better."  
  
Samantha still managed to roll her eyes while leaping at the nearest Daimon. He dodged out of the way, she neatly turned and grabbed his forearm in her fangs. With a you-thought-that-would-work look, she bit through sinew and tissue breaking the bone in the process. Samantha moved with a lethal grace and elegance that only great-wild-cats possess. Some of that was visible in the way she walked, a lot in the way she acted.  
  
"Look out!" Kim pushed her out of the way, just as the Daimon dusted he took a vial out of his pocket and threw it at them. The momentum behind the shove made Samantha slip and go moving back a good foot and a half.  
  
The vial broke in mid-air and Kim threw her arms up to protect her face. Had it not been for quick thinking and her turning her back to the contents, the acid might have burned her face and hands.  
  
As it was, the liquid ate through her jacket, shirt, and left a horrible open wound in it's place. The expanse of flesh the acid touched bubbled and burned in excruciating pain. Kim fell to one knee crouched on the ground crying out at the agony, it felt as though coals, embers, and a burning hot blade were being ground into her back.  
  
Grace and Maggie pulled up just as Samantha threw the last remaining Daimon into the air, then ripped through his stomach. She transformed back to human form and rushed to Kim's side.  
  
"Damn it, why'd you go and do a stupid thing like that for?" She hated seeing her friend in pain, were-animals healed faster than humans did, Kim might be able to revive others but she couldn't do anything to mask the pain of her own injuries.  
  
"I dunno." Kim replied through gritted teeth, "Seemed like a good idea at the time."  
  
A silver and black Harley Davidson pulled into the parking garage. Without even bothering to pull the key out of the ignition Max was kneeling next to her. The anger in his stance was only diminished by the sheer hatred in his eyes.  
  
"Are the Daimon's dead?" he snapped looking around as if there were still some hiding somewhere.  
  
"Yes." Samantha replied when neither Grace nor Maggie seemed likely to reply. "We killed them."  
  
Max didn't answer, but his expression softened somewhat as he looked down at Kim. He said something in another language that none but they knew, her eyes brightened in amusement as she struggled to her feet.  
  
She held back the scream that lodged itself in her throat when the muscles that had been charred moved, biting the inside of her lip to dull the sounds she would have made, she shrugged out of the jacket to keep the heavy leather away from the bleeding burn.  
  
A few choice expletives fell from her lips, not quite bad enough to make a sailor blush, but definitely good enough to match them. It wasn't her fault, the burn happened to hurt, quite a lot. It was either that or biting her lip in two to keep anyone from noticing how much she was hurting. Damn Daimons, they couldn't just die could they. No, of course not, they had to throw little parting gifts too.  
  
"Meet you at home." Max said gently picking her up, Talon was a Celtic immortal with renowned healing abilities. The blood loss was worrying him, that and the glassy look that was coming to her eyes.  
  
"Anything we can bring?" Maggie asked anxious for her friend, but wanting to be of some help.  
  
"Just don't disturb anyone else," Kim said predicting Grace's next move would be to call Amanda.  
  
"This is the last time I let you go hunting." Max glared speaking the words in her mind.  
  
"You said that the last time too." Kim smiled not unconcerned, she knew the severity of the risks they took, but humor had always worked in the past.  
  
"Oh, did I." he disapparated with her leaving Samantha, Grace, and Maggie alone in the parking lot. Samantha glanced to the silver and black Harley laying on its side,  
  
"No, you're not." Maggie said holding the car door open for her.  
  
"We can't very well leave it here." She replied with an innocently wicked look in her eyes, "Someone might steal it, then what would we do?"  
  
"Not get our brains bashed out onto the pavement, that's what." Grace took Maggie's side.  
  
"Right, well, see you there." Samantha pulled the bike upright, started the engine, and roared out of the parking lot.  
  
Sunshine was waiting for them inside on the porch when they finally got to the house. So much for Rule 13 of the dark-hunter handbook, that had been broken almost as soon as Acheron wrote it. He kept it in the handbook on the hope that some dark-hunter would come along and actually read the thing.  
  
It said that no dark-hunter was allowed help another, they walk alone, but seeing as there wasn't any real thing to fight Acheron shouldn't have a problem. The rule had been broken many times before and doubtless would be again.  
  
"How are they?" Maggie asked.  
  
"Surly, arrogant, and arguing." Sunshine shrugged, "As always."  
  
"Are they really, damn, not even five minutes..." Samantha made a 'tsk tsk' sound.  
  
A huge crack of thunder sounded from inside the house, "If anything happened to the new vase that I bought." Maggie growled and ran inside the house.  
  
Acheron Parthenopaus, no matter how many times a person saw him, and that wasn't a lot considering Acheron's preference for being alone, it didn't make his entry any less dramatic.  
  
"Is the thunder really necessary?" Talon smirked, "We all bow to your greatness, O master and chief, the thunder doesn't scare the crap out of us anymore."  
  
"What can I say." Acheron shrugged, "Its seduced a woman or two."  
  
"Congratulations, you should be very proud." Max raised an eyebrow, noticing the similar look on Maggie's face. Her thoughts were written all over her face, he didn't need telekinesis to hear them.  
  
'What does he mean a woman or two. What's two? Two hundred? Two thousand? Man whore.'  
  
Max buried his laughter, he had heard Acheron called many things, but man whore definitely wasn't one of them. Kim was fine again, Talon had healed her and she in turn had banished the acid mark from him.  
  
That was one of Talon's powers, he had the ability to take wounds into his own body and from there they healed faster than that of a humans. Kim's power was to take their injuries and banish them for good.  
  
"Alright then." Grace unpocketed her keys, "I'm off. Going to go and find Julian..."  
  
Acheron's silver gaze never left Maggie, she had the feeling that he could see right through her and into the deepest part of her mind. This was the woman who would be able to save his soul, Artemis would never allow it, but then it was his only chance at finally finding peace. Would he be able to walk away from her?  
  
He would finally be able to go out into the sun again living as mortals did. For too long had he saved humankind only to have the same people he fought for hate and fear him.  
  
Centuries he had stood alone against the swarm of Daimon's that terrorized mankind, only he protected them against an evil so terrible to behold, no wait, what was he saying? Daimons barely scratched the surface of evil.  
  
"Yeah, as fun as this's been..." Talon gripped Sunshine's hand and then they, too, left.  
  
Leaving just Maggie, Max, Samantha and Kim, Acheron put the black shades away and sank down onto one of the lounge chairs. It was amusing really, his fate rested in the hands of one mortal woman.  
  
Artemis would never allow him to leave her services, and he couldn't ask Maggie to make such a sacrifice. He needed her as much as she needed him and there was no way around that.  
  
"So what's the verdict, Ash?" Max asked noticing the new tattoo he has gotten, it was in the shape of a stylized bird over the pulse point on his neck. That was new, but then again knowing Acheron, tattoo's and piercings of all kinds weren't irregular.  
  
"Nothing bad." Ash shrugged, "We seem to have an apocalypse once a week now, no worse or better than before."  
  
"Knowing the Fates? Of course, they just love to see us lesser beings squirm." Samantha sat down on the edge of one of the chairs, might as well be comfortable despite whatever it was Acheron would tell them.  
  
"Speak for yourself." Kim snorted, the Fates might have the decisions but it was the humans who ultimately made the decision. She didn't hold with the whole 'destiny' bullshit. She made her own destiny and paved her own road.  
  
"Margaret's new psychic powers is purely my fault, I take the blame for it." Ash sighed, "Had I not made myself known to her then she would continue living as she always did."  
  
"So my meeting you triggered the- transformation- in me?" Maggie asked, "That day I met you at the bar... when you fought the Daimons."  
  
"Precisely." He continued, "I was the key, if you will, that unlocked the door in your mind. Haven't you always felt that there was something different about you? How you sometimes knew things before they happened, or made decisions that led to better outcomes by following your instincts?"  
  
"Like knowing that the telephone was going to ring before it did, or that I should take the stairs rather than the elevator the day the building had a power surge..."  
  
"And because of her three minute meeting with you she's now able to levitate things?" Max inquired.  
  
"That and more should we spend more time together." Ash clarified.  
  
"And that's what the fates want, isn't it." Kim said finally understanding, "They want her to reach the, ahem, full potential."  
  
"I'm sorry, Margaret." Acheron's eyes were the color of dull steel.  
  
"You keep apologizing for things that aren't your fault." Margaret said firmly, "It was no more your doing than it was mine. Would I still be able to work? Live here?"  
  
"No to the first question, but as to the second one... whichever you would prefer. I can live anywhere providing that there's no way for the sunlight to reach me during the day."  
  
"I can't just leave the hospital-" Maggie protested, "It's my job, my career!"  
  
"Yes, I know that." Acheron sighed, "But there are day-walkers that wouldn't hesitate to take you to whomever paid the highest price. Daimons from all over would be drawn to your psychic powers, and it's a risk that I can not allow you to take."  
  
"That you can't allow?" Maggie's eyes glittered dangerously, "Just one second there. This isn't the dark ages I'm not going to let some chauvinist male complex dictate to me."  
  
Kim and Max barely concealed their laughter, it was a conversation they'd had countless times. Max and Acheron knew times where women were biddable, meek, and spineless. This was the twentieth century where the women had every bit as much freedom as the men and weren't afraid to let others know it.  
  
"And what are you going to do when a Daimon comes at you?" Acheron retorted, "Tell him that, see if he'll let you run a block before he catches up with you?"  
  
"No, I'm going to kick his ass, just like I will yours if you insist on keeping me here against my will."  
  
"Oh trust me, babe." Acheron smiled wickedly, "You won't be here against your will."  
  
"You wish." Maggie snapped.  
  
"If you say so." Acheron took a lethal step towards her, "I can keep you plenty distracted."  
  
"Is everybody done, I'd like to go home." Samantha crossed her arms and did her best to break the tension in the air.  
  
"Why don't you go play with a ball of yarn." Acheron said offhandedly.  
  
"Why don't I take that ball of yarn and ram it up your-"  
  
"If you're hell bent on it," Acheron shrugged to Maggie's annoyance, "I'm free Saturday."  
  
"But you're forgetting our deal, Ash." Artemis emerged from a cloud of green fog. Her eyes matched the mist and her long red hair trailed around Acheron's bicep possessively. She wore a dress of silvery-white material that emphasized her height and slim figure. As her gaze fell on those around the room her eyes narrowed when they got to Max.  
  
"If you dare-" Kim snarled...  
  
"You know the rules." Artemis snapped, "No dark-hunters allowed in a goddess' presence." With that she raised her hand and in the center of her palm sat a ball of red and orange flame. 


	5. The bitch goddess

Chapter 5  
  
"NO!" Kim dodged in front of Max and glared out of coal-black eyes she saw the flame and knew that Artemis wouldn't care one way or the other of who she killed.  
  
Max, in turn, never let his gaze waver from the red-haired goddess, he tried to pull Kim in back of him to save her from the bolt. He knew the rules they were made clear to him the day he was remade a dark-hunter, Artemis never played fair nor was she likely to know the meaning of the word.  
  
"It's a stupid rule!" Kim raged, "You appear without any notice and then you're going to kill him because of it?! Not fucking likely!"  
  
"Watch who you're speaking too." Artemis' eyes flashed, "I'm not some mere mortal for you to snap at. I'll do as I please, don't think you could stop me."  
  
"I might not be able too." Kim snarled, "But I'll die before I let you get to him."  
  
She knew what would happen should Max be killed, it was a risk that all dark-hunters took. Should death take them Shadedom waited, it was a place where those without souls roamed. Forever wandering parched, starving, yearning for what they would never again find.  
  
To imagine Max living the half-life, walking through all eternity with a spirit's body being tortured like that forever was abhorrent. There was no way she could calmly step aside, goddess or not this was the man she loved and no one was getting him without a damn good fight.  
  
"Artemis!" Acheron's shout halted all of them, "He is under my protection. You harm him and I'll never forgive you for it. Ever."  
  
"But-" she protested the flame still glowing brightly in her hand.  
  
"No." Acheron's eyes swirled so bright they almost seemed white, "I'm a dark-hunter same as he. You execute him and I'll follow him to Shadedom."  
  
"Fine." She materlialized in back of him, "But you owe me for that later."  
  
"Actually..." Acheron grinned contentedly, "I'm otherwise detained for the next couple of weeks."  
  
"So it's true." Artemis sneered, "You're to stay with one of them. Which one? Tell me that the Fates were kidding."  
  
"Nope, they weren't." for once in his life Ash was glad at the Fates' news.  
  
"It's what they decreed." Margaret spoke up not liking the look on Artemis' face. "And I'm the one he's staying with, here, alone."  
  
"You?" Artemis laughed, "Why you're nothing but a-"  
  
"Watch it." Acheron said softly, "It's no ordinary mortal you're speaking too." They had argued, and he felt a small fission of warmth come to his heart. It was the first time he ever had someone think about helping him.  
  
"Ha." Artemis sniffed, "You'll still have to come to me for your soul. Don't expect to get it... not without a high bartering price. You're mine, akri." She vanished for good leaving a vanilla and cinnamon smell in the air.  
  
"That's the trouble with gods." Samantha gathered her bags together, "They think they own everything."  
  
"In this case..." Acheron looked to Maggie, "She does."  
  
Maggie quickly realized that Acheron wasn't much of a talker, in fact he didn't speak at all staring into the flames of fire in the hearth she could even see his eyes anymore. He had put the black shades on again to hide the ever-changing color of his eyes.  
  
Kim and Max had left them alone, they were on their way back to their own house. Maggie was sorry to see them go, but was glad for the chance to be alone with Acheron. So far nothing was out of the ordinary. She didn't feel any different from before, just a little weirded out by all that had happened.  
  
"Soo..." she tried making conversation, "Are you hungry? Tired?"  
  
"No, I'm fine. Thanks." He replied, "If you're tired..."  
  
"Not at all." Maggie answered. Again quiet descended, Acheron could hear the thoughts going through her mind as loudly as if she were saying them aloud. She was nervous, unsure of what to do. That didn't fall far from the target when it came to how he felt.  
  
For as long as the Fates deemed it necessary he was stuck, alone, in a house, with a mortal. Funny how something like that long ago would have enraged him, now he calmly accepted it... ok, maybe not calmly... but she wasn't at all hard on the eyes.  
  
He hadn't noticed before that her hair was all different lengths. It started long and then tapered slowly so that it framed her face becomingly. He could see her in a white Grecian style gown, with flowers entwined in the ebony strands... she would be beautiful beyond belief.  
  
"Akri!!" Ash inwardly groaned as Simi took form from the bid-shaped design on his throat. "I'm bored, there's nothing to do here."  
  
Judging by the shocked expression on Maggie's face, she wasn't accustomed to tattoo's coming to life. Nor did it help that Simi chose to appear as a two foot long fairy with black wings and red eyes.  
  
"Simi, return." Ash commanded hoping that for once she would do as he asked.  
  
"Return, come back." Simi mocked, "You don't ever let me have any fun. Who's she? Not mean like the red-haired heifer..."  
  
"No, she's not mean." Ash tried to placate her, "She's very nice, and has agreed to let us stay here-"  
  
"You stay here!" Simi said incredulously, "Akri don't stay anywhere for too long. You should know that." She said addressing Maggie, "My akri don't like staying anywhere."  
  
"Ok." Maggie replied trying to keep track of where the fairy was going, fluttering all over the room in a red blur Maggie glanced towards Ash in question.  
  
"Her name's Simi, she's a Charonte demon."  
  
"That's right!" Simi said proudly, "The Simi watches out for him and he for me. If you hurt him I turn you into a barbecue. I wont let him stop me this time, either. I need barbecue sauce, I keeps forgetting..."  
  
"Simi!" Acheron said as calmly as he could, "No barbecuing, ok? Come back now."  
  
"But I'm hungry, akri!! The Simi needs food! Do you have anymore of those plastic card thingy's? The other one don't work anymore."  
  
"Here." Ash took out a Platinum Visa express card, "Go home, order anything you want." He paused, "Let the people who deliver go though."  
  
"Fine." She sighed, "Their clothes gets caught in my teeth anyway. I think Chinese, maybe Italian-"  
  
"And she lives as your tattoo?" Maggie asked once Simi had vanished, "Where'd she go?"  
  
"Katoteros." Ash replied, "That's where we live. Well actually, that's where she lives. I have houses in nearly every country in the world." He said trying to draw her attention away from the fact that his real home wasn't anywhere near earth.  
  
"Your kidding me!" Maggie stood and walked over to the counter, "Every country!"  
  
"Except Alaska and Greenland, yes." Ash grinned at the picture in her head, she was thinking about run-of-the-mill houses.  
  
"In the entire world!" she picked up a knife and twirled it idly as she chose an apple.  
  
"Yup." He watched the knife worriedly and then decided to just help her out. The knife and apple both flew out of her hands and was cut into nice slices, then the blade washed itself in the sink and dried before going back to the knife rack.  
  
"How old are you anyway?" she wondered outloud, "To have so many houses, I know you were the first dark-hunter..."  
  
"Eleven thousand." Ash said blandly, "Acheron Parthenopaus, at your service."  
  
"Cool. Margaret Panheriou, nice to meet you."  
  
Ash grinned, she was taking the news way more calmly than he expected. Most women he knew, aside from Tabitha, Grace, and the Buffites, would be swooning to the floor in a dead faint, or trying to jump him. He much preferred the swooning, after the nine hundredth woman had tackled him to the floor, he missed the time period when women were secluded to the man's bedchamber.  
  
"Not likely that's going to happen." Maggie snorted, "You try to lock me in my own bedroom and see how far that'll get you."  
  
"You heard that?" Ash asked truly surprised for the first time since he could remember.  
  
"Sure. You were speaking to me, weren't you?" she was giving him the "duh" stare that a few not so fortunate Daimons had tried.  
  
"No, no I wasn't." he watched the shock play across the expressions of her face. Fear, alarm, and a little bit of pride flashed across the brilliant blue of her eyes.  
  
"So I- what- picked the thoughts out of your mind?"  
  
"Seems that way." He was impressed, not even Max or Zarek could get into the planes of his mind when he put the mental block up. That she could was really saying a lot, maybe the Fates were getting more than they bargained for.  
  
"Okay, now this is registering on the weird factor." She said backing away, "The Daimons, I could take. No problem, happens everday anyway. Meeting the legendary Acheron, leader of the dark-hunters, ok, that's fine. Having Artemis herself-"  
  
"Don't say her name so loud." Acheron interrupted her, "You say her name three times and she's back again."  
  
"Whoops." Maggie looked around as if expecting the goddess to reappear, "Ok... I'll definitely keep that in mind. But long story short, so much has happened, you know? Between finding out that Julian and Kyrian knew one another about a billion years ago and fought in the same army. Then Talon and Sunshine becoming immortalized demigods, and hearing about Daimon's, were-hunters, and Appolites... I get all that now."  
  
"So this kind of stuff doesn't faze you at all." Acheron summed up.  
  
"Basically, sorry. Although the thunder thing when you came here, did."  
  
Acheron laughed, for the first time in over a year he was really laughing at something. "Thanks, I'll make sure to pass that on to Talon the next time I talk to him."  
  
"But reading your mind, what do the Fates want with me anyway?"  
  
"No one knows for sure. They're vague, on their best day. They just say that your powers are going to manifest and I'm the one who gets to stay and enjoy the show."  
  
"How fun for you." Maggie sarced.  
  
"I thought so too. We can go anywhere you want, so long as I stay within close proximity. I told you before, Daimons and all manner of things are going to be after us. They're going to want your powers as they make themselves known. The longer they keep you alive, the stronger the chance of power you'll tap."  
  
"So then I become a pawn in this game. Something to be moved around and used as the Gods see fit."  
  
"That's all any of us are." Acheron said darkly, "Just pieces in the game of life." 


End file.
